Amazon is preparing to end support for Kindle devices released before 2012. This means disconnecting your device from the Kindle Store and effectively preventing it from loading new content. The company has set the deadline for May 20, 2026.
Amazon sent an email to customers this week announcing that it would no longer support the device, according to screenshots of messages posted by customers on social media and Reddit. According to the message, Kindle e-readers and tablets released before 2012 will no longer be able to access Kindle Store features after the deadline. This means that affected devices will no longer be able to directly purchase, borrow, or download new books.
Starting May 20th, users will only be able to read downloaded content using their own devices. Once your old device is unenrolled or factory reset, you won’t be able to re-enroll it after May 20th.
Amazon’s list of affected models includes the original Kindle (1st and 2nd generation), Kindle DX and DX Graphite, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle 4 and 5, Kindle Touch, and 1st generation Kindle Paperwhite.
“While these models have been supported for at least 14 years, and in some cases as long as 18 years, technology has advanced significantly in that time and these devices will no longer be supported,” Amazon spokesperson Jesse Carr said in a statement to TechCrunch. “We are offering promotions to notify users who are still active and help them migrate to new devices.”
An Amazon spokesperson said users will still be able to access their library through new devices, the Kindle mobile app, and Kindle for Web.
Although some longtime users have complained about the move toward end of support for older Kindles, many are in good condition and have not degraded. On Reddit, multiple users said they still rely on these older devices and see no reason to replace them. To some, this felt like yet another example of technology companies discontinuing support for fully functional products, encouraging customers to upgrade, while contributing to an increase in e-waste. One example is Google, which ended support for older Nest thermostats in 2025. According to the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), global e-waste is estimated to reach 82 million tonnes by 2030, a 32% increase from 2022.
tech crunch event
San Francisco, California
|
October 13-15, 2026
One Reddit user wrote, “I’ve had a Kindle for years and it still works perfectly and continues to serve me well. What a waste to make a product effectively unusable in order to force people to buy a newer model.”
For some, this change meant it might be time to get an alternative e-ink reader, such as the Boox Palma or Vivlio e-reader.
The decision to effectively discontinue older Kindle devices is not entirely unexpected, as Amazon has been gradually reducing support for legacy devices. In 2016, the company required pre-2012 Kindle e-reader models to install an update just to maintain access to the Kindle Store, an early sign that long-term support for these devices would eventually end.
Source link
